Community

COMMUNITY PROFILE

Location

Prescott is located in Arizona’s central mountains; four mild seasons offer just enough variation to make the weather interesting. Prescott is located 96 miles northwest of Phoenix and 90 miles southwest of Flagstaff, Arizona. The city was established in 1864, incorporated in 1881 and is the seat of government for Yavapai County. The city is named in honor of noted historian William Hickling Prescott.

Elevation & Climate

5,347 ft.

Mile high Prescott has an ideal four-season climate, mountain breezes keeping summer time temperatures from reaching the grueling levels of Phoenix. Daytime temperatures rarely exceed 85 degrees, and winter days are filled with sunshine. Humidity is a moderate 45% year-round. July marks Prescott’s monsoon season with cool afternoon thunderstorms.

Population
Prescott reflects many cultures; among these are Native American, Hispanic and Anglo. Anglos comprise 88.2% of the population base.
1950 - 6,764
1960 - 12,861
1970 - 13,134
1980 - 20,055
1990 - 26,455
2000 - 33,938

College & Universities

Yavapai College | 1000 E. Sheldon St., Prescott AZ 86301 | (928) 445-7300 | www.yavapai.cc.az.us

Prescott College | 220 Grove Ave., Prescott AZ 86301 | (928) 778-2090 | www.prescott.edu

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | 3200 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott AZ 86301 | (928) 778-3800 | www.erau.edu

Northern Arizona University Extension | 551 First St., Prescott AZ 86301 | (928) 445-5231 | www.nau.edu

Northcentral University | 505 W Whipple St., Prescott AZ 86301 | (928) 541-7777 | www.ncu.edu

Government

City of Prescott | 201 S. Cortez, Prescott, AZ 86301 | (928) 777-1100 | www.cityofprescott.net

Prescott Police Department | 222 S. Marina St., Prescott, AZ 86301 |
(928) 778-1444

Prescott Fire Department | 1700 Iron Springs Rd., Prescott, AZ 86301 | (928) 445-5555

Yavapai County | 1015 Fair St., Prescott, AZ 86301 | (928) 771-3100 | www.co.yavapai.az.us

Yavapai County Sheriff Office | 255 E. Gurley St., Prescott, AZ 86301 | (928) 771-3260

History of Prescott

GOLD - Its discovery in 1861 brought national attention to what later became the Territory of Arizona. These discoveries drew the attention of President Abraham Lincoln who was looking for possible sources of funding for the North during the Civil War. Arizona became a Territory February 24, 1863. John Goodwin, the first Territorial governor, established Prescott as the first Territorial capital, and Robert Groom and a partner began the work of laying out the current downtown streets.

Prescott developed rapidly, and in 1865 it was described as being built exclusively of wood and inhabited almost entirely by Americans. Both of these facts made it unique among early communities in Arizona. Prescott lost its title as the Capital of Arizona to Tucson and finally to Phoenix in 1889. In 1900 a devastating fire burned a large portion of downtown Prescott to the ground. Many of the build-ins you see today were rebuilt following the fire. Today many of Prescott’s residential streets are lined with tall trees and pitched-roof frame houses, including turreted Victorians. Prescott has over 700 homes and businesses listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and its granite courthouse set among green lawns and spreading trees reflects the Mid-western and New England background of Prescott’s early pioneers.

Source: All from the Prescott Chamber of Commerce

COMMUNITY TIES

Community Use of Mile High Facilities | Community Collaboration | Student Volunteerism | Community Donations

Community Use of Mile High Facilities
Our campus is fortunate to be the home of a historic cottonwood tree, and just as the tree is rooted in our community, so is our school. Our community partnerships are numerous and varied, dating back to our school’s beginning.

We housed the only auditorium in Prescott for many years and all local performances took place here. Hendrix Auditorium has hosted many community events: Governor Janet Napolitano’s state meeting with northern Arizona community leaders, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University’s early theater productions, Artist-in-Residence performances, the Prescott Bluegrass Festival, Sharlot Hall
Museum’s Folk Happens, large community meetings held by the PUSD Board of Governors and the
Yavapai Indian Tribe, and as the temporary home for various church organizations.

Prescott Parks and Recreation Services has used our two gymnasiums for many years for adult volleyball and basketball, the
YMCA used the gyms before the construction of their own facility to house youth basketball programs on the weekends, and the local youth boxing program occasionally used the facility.

Our classrooms are used as meeting rooms for Sunday school classes, boy and girl scouts, and other organizational needs.

As a member of the Prescott Downtown Partnership, we have partnered every downtown event. Our football field and track area used on a regular basis to Mountain High Street Rods, 4th of July carnivals, Pop Warner football, Prescott craft shows, bicycle clubs, and many other affairs too numerous to mention.

The Salvation Army used our newly remodeled cafeteria for a Thanksgiving Day community dinner, which some Mile High teachers, parents, and students helped prepare and serve. The cafeteria and quad have also hosted numerous other events—even wedding receptions.

The most dramatic use of our school was as the Red Cross Command Center in the Indian Fire of Prescott in 2001. Students, teachers, and community members joined together as volunteers helping serve food, assisting in animal rescue, or registering displaced residents; this truly symbolizes Mile High’s community partnership as we pull together
to help our community. Our door is always open.

The many families who have attended our school set the legacy of Mile High’s quad and its use as a center for learning, celebration, and reverence for students and community members alike. Memorial services, flag raising ceremonies, student hot chocolate sales, science class lessons, and socializing are examples of some of the many experiences we share on the grassy lawn areas of the quad. It serves as a gathering place that brings a sense of connection and closeness between students and staff; members of the community often return to our quad to celebrate and remember.

Community Collaboration

Mile High collaborates with many Prescott groups to further “real world” educational opportunities for
our students. One example is the Fire Trap program developed by our seventh grade science teacher, Pat Gulley, and the Prescott Fire Department. The students are taught fire and injury prevention in a challenging and interesting way; the firefighters teach and stage a “Knowledge Bowl” in game show format. Then they carry their activities onto the football field and students participate in various activities such as the hose roll relay. Ribbons are awarded to knowledgeable, happy, and very wet students at the end of the
day.

Another community collaboration is Road Court; Judge Robert Brutinel brings Yavapai County Juvenile Court to Hendrix Auditorium and the eighth grade civics classes witness real cases. All members of the court are introduced as well as prosecuting and defending attorneys. This program was
nominated for a state court award and won second place.

Not only do we bring the community into the classroom, we use the community itself at a classroom of learning. Mile High’s proximity to the downtown area of Prescott brings the community into the learning experience through visits to the public library, the police department, city and county courtrooms, and local businesses.

Life skills classes visit the Pioneer
Home to deliver homemade gifts and cards, Murphy’s Restaurant to view a working chef and kitchen, and TCBY to see how frozen yogurt is made.

Our musicians participate with community members in performances in the downtown area on Acker Music Night in December and also march in the holiday parade.

Our sixth grade math students participate in Math Challenge Day, and our eighth graders participate in the Yavapai County Math Competition sponsored through Northern Arizona University and
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Jacque Price (at that time an eighth grade civics teacher) arranged for an ER helicopter to land on campus so that eighth graders might learn about another facet of law enforcement procedures.

Other examples of collaboration are D.A.R.E. education in sixth grade, law related education with a probation officer in eighth grade, and writing competitions through many local organizations such as the American Legion.

Several years ago, one of our student councils spearheaded a
community effort to place a stoplight at the entrance of our school at the corner of Montezuma and Carleton Streets—the stoplight is in place today.

Democrat and Republican representatives come in yearly to assist the civics classes in understanding our two-party system of government. Parent chefs come in to teach lessons in our life skills classes.

Another program, sponsored by the Prescott Toastmasters, teaches
public teaching skills to NJHS students.

The American Legion has a special eighth grade citizenship/ academic award for the best overall boy and girl at Mile High.

These partnerships with our community family enable our school to meet the needs of our students.

Student Volunteerism

Volunteerism is valued at Mile High. Our Hassayampa Chapter of the National Junior Society is a very active service organization with weekly campus cleaning, recycling, peer tutoring, Dress-A-Child, Christmas Angel, Teen Crisis Pregnancy Center, “5 & 2 Soup Kitchen” at First Baptist Church, donations of blankets and clothing for the homeless, and fundraisers (recently for the Russian Student Relief Fund - $1,090). They received the Silver Level Governor’s Award for their volunteerism.

Students participate in Pennies for Patients (Leukemia Society), donate canned goods to local food banks, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-a-thon - $600, Granite Creek Annual Clean-Up, and many other activities too numerous to mention.

Mrs. Blakey’s cooking classes plan, prepare, and deliver holiday goodies to the Pioneer Home residents throughout the year. The sewing classes design and sew quilts and other projects for delivery to nursing homes and to the participants at the First Baptist Soup Kitchen.

In an effort to be a positive part of our community, we endeavor to assist those in need in our area. We have visited the Arizona Pioneer Home with student made gifts. We have also made yearly contributions of gloves, socks, and goodies to our local soup kitchen. The Life Skills, Student Council, and National Junior Honor Society students have conducted food drives, made and distributed gift bags, and helped with the cooking and serving on a monthly basis
at the soup kitchen.

Community Donations

Three hundred community members have donated approximately $49,000 in the form of tax credits to support athletics, summer school, and various departments at our school.

The following community members have donated materials and labor to help to make Harmony Habitat a reality: T. Barnabas Kane and Assoc., Arizona Herb Society, Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Co., Pal’s Custom Landscaping, Action Sports Graphics, Ron Sult Backhoe, and Prescott Fence.

Our scoreboard and concession stand on the football field/track area are the result of parent and community members, who are listed on the scoreboard itself.